How did you make a new home feel like yours?

MrsBrush

At this stage, before we have even exchanged, just the notion of being back in my hometown will make it feel like home. It has been almost 19 years, and I cant get back soon enough - just waiting on the **** conveyancers at the top and the bottom of the chain to finally get on with their jobs so we can exchange and finally have a confirmed move date.

I firmly believe that home is where your loved ones are, so as long as my husband is with me and when everything is in, being home will commence when we collect the cat from the cattery. Family will be less than 5 miles away, rather than 35, which will also help considerably, and we have a range of friends all within a 5 mile radius, which will also make a huge difference. Having lived in a beautiful place for the last 19 years, but isolated by distance from everyone most important to me, the new house is only a small part of the equation of what constitutes "home".

Whilst cleaning the house to our standard, getting unpacked and getting personal items on display will all be done fairly quickly, I always like to make sure that we do the priority jobs first, of which we have a list, and then any refurbishment and redecorating can wait until we have got used to the feel of the place and we know how it will best work for us. I don't care if that takes weeks or months - it doesn't matter, because it is a project and we know it wont happen overnight.

Murphybear

Deleted_User said:

Normally I've felt it's just down to time and giving everywhere a personal touch. For me it can be - cleanliness or the 'smell' like it's ours, a few mirrors or lamps to make it feel homely, knowing instantly where things are and not forgetting where I've unpacked something.

I think it takes more time depending on how different it all is. Our move to a cottage in the country was much harder as it felt surreal to sleep in complete darkness and silence and the 'country retreat' took a while to get my head around and feel natural and at home. I cried my eyes out the first night. It just didn't feel like I thought it would even though it was a wonderful place.

With our current house, we were returning to a village we knew, and for the first time ever for me I felt completely comfortable and like I was 'home' immediately. The same evening. I've never felt that before at all. Previously it's taken me weeks if not months. 

We spent 6 months in Devon in the back of beyond.  What with the “mooooos” and “baaaaas” it wasn’t that silent. 

seven-day-weekend

We have never lived in a place that didn't require extensive remedial work.  The first one we did whilst in it; the other two we took our time before we moved in.  One the reno was done, it had become 'ours'.

MissRMB

I was actually wondering the same. I lived with parent up to six years ago and began renting. Due to restrictions I haven't been able to add personal touches to my rented accommodation so I have no clue how to give something a personal touch. We are in the process of decorating and just picking the paint was scary for me! I can't wait though to start making my house a home - I think it's something to be excited about. 

MovingForwards

It always felt like my home, even from viewing the bad EA photos, when viewing I knew it was the one for me. All I had to do was inject my personality into it. 

Cleaned everywhere and painted the bedroom white before moving in, there was no way I would keep the magnolia after being in a rental. 

Set myself a deadline for when I would be unpacked, fitted that around my non-working hours and days.

Rearranged the lounge a few times, moved the sofas an inch or two several times until I was finally happy with the position. 

Hung whatever paintings / art I had and dressed each room. 

Lifted the lounge carpet as there was laminate or something hidden under it, the lounge was a bit brighter.

Then tackled the dark woodwork and converted it all to white, giving the walls and ceiling a few coats too, finishing a day or so before Xmas day. Natural light floods in as I've got nearly a wall of windows. 

Planned what I would do next and happened to see a colour I liked for the hall.

I've bits to finish off, but I've run out of steam and not done anything for months. 

Buying a home and moving is stressful, give yourself a break and live in it for a while. Get used to how the house is as what you think you want now, may not be how it would work for you in reality.

Racky_Roo

I think smell has a lot to do with it. I tend to put loads of my favourite reed diffusers out at the beginning so it smells like my house rather than the previous owners and then as time goes on and I replace flooring etc I can reduce them as it naturally smells more like mine

ss2020jd

MrsBrush said:

At this stage, before we have even exchanged, just the notion of being back in my hometown will make it feel like home. It has been almost 19 years, and I cant get back soon enough - just waiting on the **** conveyancers at the top and the bottom of the chain to finally get on with their jobs so we can exchange and finally have a confirmed move date.

I firmly believe that home is where your loved ones are, so as long as my husband is with me and when everything is in, being home will commence when we collect the cat from the cattery. Family will be less than 5 miles away, rather than 35, which will also help considerably, and we have a range of friends all within a 5 mile radius, which will also make a huge difference. Having lived in a beautiful place for the last 19 years, but isolated by distance from everyone most important to me, the new house is only a small part of the equation of what constitutes "home".

Whilst cleaning the house to our standard, getting unpacked and getting personal items on display will all be done fairly quickly, I always like to make sure that we do the priority jobs first, of which we have a list, and then any refurbishment and redecorating can wait until we have got used to the feel of the place and we know how it will best work for us. I don't care if that takes weeks or months - it doesn't matter, because it is a project and we know it wont happen overnight.

Exactly this. We are transitioning gradually from rented and although I initially wanted to get everything painted and flooring sorted, I had to accept it would be too much too soon and would need time to live in it first. So a big ongoing clean was the main thing. 

For me, just having furniture the sofas in the living room has made a massive difference to our ‘empty house’ visits. Definitely putting stuff on the walls and pieces of furniture you love will all make it feel more like yours. Some pots outside with flowers plants if you have space too. 

We still have boxes to unpack and beds yet to be put back together. I also can’t wait for the temp curtains and blinds to be replaced. That’s next on my list. 

MaryNB

Racky_Roo said:

I think smell has a lot to do with it. I tend to put loads of my favourite reed diffusers out at the beginning so it smells like my house rather than the previous owners and then as time goes on and I replace flooring etc I can reduce them as it naturally smells more like mine

I totally agree. Pretty sure the previous owner spilled perfume in the spare room so it always reminded of them until I changed the carpet. Also for the first few months every so often I'd get a whiff of what the house smelled like when I first moved in which reminded me of how anxious and excited I was when I moved in. Although I'm kinda glad I don't really get that smell any more because I moved in alone with no furniture, in winter, in the middle of a hard lockdown, so it was a bit cold and lonely. I've got my own candles in now (and furniture!) so much more homely.

Soot2006

We moved in 2019; felt like I was living in someone else's house for months! It was weird. I think because last purchase we'd rushed into redecorating and then had to redo things later, this time we sort of sat back and did nothing and let the ideas come to us. It was a weird time and then Covid came not long after which was awesome as working from home allowed me to totally redo everything - then it felt like home!

[Deleted User]

Mine is when my kids rooms have beds and their bits and pieces in the rest of the house can be bare still but I feel
it when I know they are settled